Baltic InteGrid has organized its 2nd Thematic Working Group Seminar on Maritime Spatial Planning in Klaipeda, Lithuania on 22 November 2017. The seminar emphasised on the identification of potential conflicts between offshore wind energy and other maritime uses – especially linear infrastructure - in the Baltic Sea region. Together with the partners from the Baltic LINes project the Baltic InteGrid consortium discussed the challenges and opportunities of a more coordinated approach to maritime spatial planning in the Baltic Sea region. Furthermore, potential synergies between both projects were elaborated.

After presentations of both projects the participants split into two groups and gathered around two discussion tables. At the first table, the two pre-feasibility studies of the Baltic InteGrid project have been discussed. The participants discussed criteria for spatial constraints for offshore grid development across the Baltic Sea. In a next step soft (e.g. cables) and hard (e.g. munition dumps) constraints have been applied to the areas of the two pre-feasibility studies in the southern Baltic Sea leading to the identification of potential areas for offshore wind and grid development. At the second table, moderated by the Baltic LINes project, planning criteria for spatial designations for energy infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region were presented and discussed. Participants exchanged their knowledge and discussed the relevance and importance of spatial constraints regarding the energy sector. Another point raised by the participants was the required level of detail of the planning criteria when it comes to maritime spatial planning.

The discussions at the Thematic Working Group Seminar provided valuable insights for both projects that will feed into the ongoing project activities. Baltic LINes and Baltic InteGrid will continue and foster their collaboration throughout the second half of the project duration.